The present invention relates to a method of converting a railcar. More specifically, the present invention relates to converting a railcar having a sliding door into a railcar having a plug door. The method generally entails reconfiguring the sealing surface of the railcar door to accept the plug-type door thereby allowing a door mechanism that may seal to protect the contents of the rail car. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of increasing the storage capacity and the clear door opening of the box car by raising the roof of the railcar.
It is generally known to provide railcars for the storage and/or transport of goods, products and/or commodities across distances via rail lines. These goods may require protection from the elements, such as, for example, heat, water, cold or other like damaging phenomena. Further, it is also known to provide railcars having sliding door mechanisms that may be openable and closeable and may provide access to the interior of the railcar. A railcar having a sliding door may be latchable so as to provide a means for keeping the sliding door closed for the security of the goods, products and/or commodities stored therein. Typically, a box car may utilize a sliding door for closing over a door opening to keep goods, products and/or commodities therein.
Moreover, it is further known to provide railcars having plug doors. Plug doors are typically similar to sliding doors and may be openable and closeable so as to provide access to the interior of the railcar. However, a plug door may translate toward the railcar to seal the plug door against a sealing surface on the railcar. Plug doors typically allow for enhanced security of the goods, products and/or commodities that may be stored within the railcars, since the plug-type door mechanism seals against the railcar. Moreover, plug doors may be utilized in railcars that must maintain a constant atmospheric condition, such as, for example, coldness, heat or humidity so as to protect the goods, products and/or commodities contained therein. Further, the plug door may keep the goods, products and/or commodities secure from dirt, dust, mud and moisture.
Many railcars, especially older railcars, are typically constructed with a sliding door mechanism that may cover an entry or opening in the railcars. These railcars may be utilized within the industry to transport goods, products and/or commodities across distances or otherwise may be used to store these goods, products and/or commodities. However, as noted above, these sliding doors do not provide an effective seal around the perimeter of the entry or opening to keep undesirable materials out of the railcar, such as moisture, sunlight, air, dust or other materials. Therefore, a plug door is necessary to create a sealing surface around the perimeter of the entry or opening. However, it is difficult to build a railcar completely from scratch, especially when there are many railcars having sliding doors that can be converted into railcars having plug doors.
Moreover, the door opening on a railcar, otherwise known as the clear door opening (xe2x80x9cCDOxe2x80x9d), is defined by the inside surfaces of the door posts and the top and bottom sills. Typically the CDO of a railcar is constructed to allow a specific amount of goods, products and/or commodities to move into and out of the railcar. Specifically, goods, products and/or commodities may be contained on a pallet having a specific dimension that may fit within the CDO of a typical railcar. However, many railcars that require a plug door may add a flange around the perimeter of the door opening to create a sealing surface thereby substantially decreasing the CDO of the railcar. This flange may typically be attached to the inside surface of the door posts that define the width of the CDO. The flange may therefore decrease the CDO of the railcar. This may adversely affect the movement of certain sized pallets into and out of the railcar. Moreover, adding a flange around the perimeter of the door opening requires a modification or movement of the door posts, if the CDO is desired to be retained. This typically entails significant expenditures of time and money.
In addition, many railcars have been built having a relatively low height, which decreases the amount of storage space within the railcar. A method of converting a railcar is necessary, therefore, to raise the roof of existing railcars to add height to the railcars thereby increasing the storage volume of the railcars. Moreover, raising the roof of the railcar may further add to the CDO of the railcar, thereby allowing for the movement of larger pallets, or other units, of goods, products, and/or commodities into and out of the railcar.
Of course, railcars are built from scratch, and many require a door opening that may require a plug door to be sealed thereon to protect the good, product and/or commodity that may be contained therein. However, many railcars are built having a flange or other type of material attached to the inside surface of the door posts and top and bottom sills extending inwards toward the center of the door opening. This may require additional material to provide a sealing surface for the plug door to seal against. Moreover, the door opening may be reduced due to the inwardly disposed flange.
A method of converting a railcar is therefore necessary that overcomes the deficiencies as noted above. The present invention, therefore, provides a method of converting a railcar. Specifically, the method entails converting a railcar having a sliding door to a railcar having a plug door. Further, the present invention provides a method of converting a railcar thereby giving the railcar added height and, consequently, added storage volume. Moreover, the method overcomes the deficiencies as noted above.
The present invention relates to a method of converting a railcar. More specifically, the invention provides a method of converting a railcar having a sliding door that may be used to cover an entry or an opening in a railcar having a plug door that may create an effective seal around a perimeter of the railcar. Further, the present invention provides a method of converting a railcar to add height and, therefore, storage volume to the railcar.
Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, a method of converting a railcar from having a sliding door to having a plug door is provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a railcar having a sliding door disposed on top and bottom tracks for covering a door opening wherein the top and bottom tracks are connected to a side of the railcar; removing the sliding door; removing the top and bottom sliding door tracks; removing material from the box car that would interfere with the proper operation of a plug door disposed on the railcar for covering the door opening; providing door posts disposed on opposite sides of the door opening wherein the front surfaces of the door posts provide a sealing surface for the plug door; and installing top and bottom tracks for engaging with a plug door.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: providing a perimeter around the door opening; and installing a top and a bottom sealing surface around the perimeter of the door opening wherein the surface of the top and the bottom sealing surfaces are coplanar with the front surfaces of the door posts.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: providing a perimeter around the door opening; providing a sliding door sealing surface at the bottom of the perimeter of the door opening; removing the sliding door sealing surface at the bottom of the perimeter of the door opening; and adding a plug door sealing surface at the location where the sliding door sealing surface was removed from the bottom of the perimeter of the door opening wherein the plug door sealing surface is coplanar with the front surfaces of the door posts.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the top track is installed to the box car prior to installing the bottom track.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of cleaning the box car prior to installing the plug door.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: providing front and rear sliding door stops on the side of the railcar; and removing the front and rear sliding door stops prior to installing the plug door.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing surface is disposed around the perimeter of the door opening and further wherein the sealing surface is coplanar around the perimeter of the door opening.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: cutting around the perimeter of the box car; removing the roof of the box car; providing a top plate above the door opening wherein the pre-existing top track is disposed on the top plate; removing the top plate by cutting the top plate wherein the cut-line is flush with the inside surfaces of the door posts; adding extensions around the perimeter of the box car where the roof was removed; and attaching a second roof to the extensions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second roof is the same as the roof that was removed from the box car.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of bracing the side walls and the floor of the box car when removing the roof of the box car.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of grinding the welding slag to provide smooth metal surfaces.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of attaching door post extensions to the door posts wherein the door post extensions provide a coplanar sealing surface with the door posts.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of repairing damage to the door posts prior to adding the extensions to the box car.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the extensions comprise door post extensions, side post extensions, side plate extensions and end plate extensions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: attaching a plug door to the top track and the bottom track for sliding within the top track and on the bottom track wherein the plug door translates towards the railcar to cover the door opening; providing a sealing surface on the plug door; and engaging the sealing surface of the plug door to the sealing surfaces of the door posts.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a method of building a railcar is provided comprising the steps of: providing a railcar having a plurality of sidewalls, a floor, a roof wherein the railcar is situated on a plurality of trucks for rolling on a rail; attaching a pair of vertical, parallel door posts to the railcar wherein the door posts define a door opening contained therebetween and further wherein the door posts are attached to the sidewall and further wherein the outer surface of the door posts provide a sealing surface to engage a plug door wherein the sealing surface of the door posts are coplanar with respect to each other; constructing a door header across a top of the door posts; attaching a top door track on the door header that runs across a top of the door posts and further extending away from the door opening wherein the top door track extending away from the door opening is attached to the sidewall; attaching a top sealing surface on the door header at the top of the door opening; attaching a bottom door track across the bottom of the door opening and extending away from the door opening attached to the sidewall; and attaching a bottom sealing surface across the bottom of the door opening.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the top sealing surface and the bottom sealing surface are coplanar with respect to each other.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the top sealing surface, the bottom sealing surface and the sealing surfaces contained on the door posts are coplanar with respect to each other.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of attaching a top track extension between the door header and the top track.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the step of attaching a bottom track extension between the sidewall of the railcar and the bottom track for holding the bottom track at a distance away from the sidewall of the railcar.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: attaching a plug door within the top track and on the bottom track for sliding longitudinally across the top track and the bottom track and further wherein the plug door translates towards the railcar; providing a sealing surface on the plug door; and engaging the sealing surface of the plug door to the sealing surfaces of the door posts.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that uses existing railcars to create railcars having the desired characteristics. Moreover, it is an advantage to provide a method of converting a railcar that re-uses most of the existing parts of the railcar.
Further, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that creates a sealing surface to receive a plug door on the railcar. Moreover, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that replaces existing structure on the railcars quickly and efficiently when creating the sealing surface for the plug door. In addition, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that allows goods, products and/or commodities to be stored and/or transported therein while remaining protected from damaging phenomena.
Moreover, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that provides a coplanar sealing surface around the perimeter of the door opening without decreasing the clear door opening or otherwise moving or modifying the door posts.
Still further, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar whereby the roof of the railcar may be raised to provide an increased storage capacity of the railcar. Moreover, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of converting a railcar that increases the door opening to allow larger commodities to be brought in or taken out of the railcar.
Moreover it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method of building a railcar having a sealing surface provided on an outside surface of the door posts. In addition, an advantage of the present invention is having a sealing surface provided on a top and a bottom of the door opening. Moreover, it is an advantage to provide a sealing surface disposed around a perimeter of the door opening without adding a flange around the perimeter of the door opening for the plug door to seal against.